Motor City Hot Rod & Racing Expo in Novi

Founders of the Motor City Hot Rod and Racing Expo, Dave Szerlag (left) and Luke Bogacki have been working on putting the show together for more than a year. The show opens Saturday, March 22, at the Suburban Showcase Collection in Novi. Photo by Carl Leet

FYI

The inaugural Motor City Hot Rod and Racing Expo will be Saturday and Sunday, March 22–23, at the Suburban Showcase Collection, 46100 Grand River Ave., Novi, 248-348-5600. The show features 140 national vendors, including Holley Performance and K&N Engineering. Tickets are $10 at the door for adults, $5 for kids older than 5, and free for younger kids. For more information, visit www.motorcityraceexpo.com/index.php.

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines for a new hot rod show coming to town.

The inaugural Motor City Hot Rod and Racing Expo is coming to the Suburban Showcase Collection in Novi, Saturday and Sunday, March 22-23.

The expo, designed as a regional racing and hot rod industry show, features product manufacturers, business owners and 140 national vendors attending and demonstrating their products.

Dave Szerlag of Brighton, who co-founded the show with longtime buddy Luke Bogacki of Cartersville, Ill., said he was surprised to sell out the first year, with 65,000 square feet of exhibit space.

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Hot rod and high-performance manufacturing and service companies participating include the internationally known Holley Performance and K&N Engineering, plus Michigan-based businesses Lingenfelter Performance Engineering and Watson Racing, custom renovation experts Motor City Solutions and Wrenchers of Novi, as well as specialty manufacturers Woodward Fab and Sound of the Soul.

The idea was a spin-off of the Specialty Equipment Markets Association, SEMA, show in Las Vegas.

“When you go to a car show, the cars are in the spotlight, not the vendors,” Szerlag said. “Here, the spotlight is all the manufacturers and companies being represented.”

Other product manufacturer shows, such as SEMA, usually are open only to other automotive businesses. Szerlag said he and Bogacki wanted a similar show — but make it open to the public.

Providing a hands-on experience for those attending, the expo will host educational seminars and drag racing panel talks. Participants can learn to turn an idea from the garage into a successful business at the Entrepreneur Round Table presented by Big Stuff 3, and its Champions Round Table panel will discuss what it takes to win a motorsports championship.

The event also will feature guest appearances by NHRA Top Fuel World Champion Shawn Langdon, plus DJ Meltdown and WRIF Rock Girl Lyndsey will broadcast live from the expo from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Discounts also will be offered to show attendees on parts and services. You can register to win a free chassis dyno session courtesy of Motor City Speed, and NASCAR weekend tickets to Michigan International Speedway.

Tickets are $10 at the door, $5 for kids older than 5. A complete list of events and vendors is at www.MotorCityRaceExpo.com.